On Tuesday, 8 April, at 16:15, an Estonian-language colloquium will take place at the University of Tartu’s Delta Centre (Narva mnt 18, room 1008) and in Zoom, discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on childhood.
The lecture, “Children and young people in the world of artificial (un)intelligence”, will examine the influence of AI on children and provide recommendations for safeguarding their rights and well-being in an AI-driven society. The lecture will be delivered by Andra Siibak, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Tartu.
Colloquium Summary
AI-based technologies are beginning to shape the lives of today’s children even before their birth. This presentation will examine how the use of AI-based technologies in homes, schools, peer networks, and at the national level is changing what it means to be a child and grow up in an artificial (un) intelligence-driven world. Based on empirical research findings and international scientific literature, the presentation will analyse the risks associated with the increasing use of AI-based technologies and the steps that parents, educators, and policymakers must urgently take to ensure the rights and well-being of children and young people in an AI-saturated society. The presentation draws on the forthcoming monograph “Children and AI: Changing Digital Childhoods?” (Palgrave, to be published in 2025), co-authored by Andra Siibak and Giovanna Mascheroni (Universita Cattolica).
The colloquium is organised by the Department of Philosophy, the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu, and the Estonian Centre of Excellence in AI (EXAI). The colloquium is supported by the Ministry of Education and Research Centres of Excellence grant TK213 (Estonian Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (EXAI)).
Photo: Pexels/ Luis Quintero